You will explore how businesses react to changing economic times and the influence this has on product/service positioning in the market place. You will also learn about the different approaches an organization may take such as a retrenchment approach, an investment approach, or an ambidextrous approach to provide a foundation for opportunity and risk in recessionary times.Consumer spending habits have undergone dramatic and enduring change in the United States.

• What risks and opportunities do the three common strategies during recessionary times—retrenchment, investment, and ambidextrous strategies—present to businesses?
• What are the factors that are key for establishing product differentiation in the new post-recession consumer environment especially as it relates to economic indicators?
• What is a luxury good and should marketers of luxury goods abandon their efforts to establish premium pricing?
• How do changes in societal attitudes toward companies and products affect the way marketers of consumer goods think about the customer value chain? Provide examples of companies that have changed their approach to marketing in response to a shift in consumers” value in changing economic times.